Mage PvE guide
Things Mages want Non-Mages to know # Do not attack the sheep; do not put a DoT of any sort on the sheep. They can stay sheeped for up to 50 seconds from a high level mage. If you accidentally attacked the sheep, the mage will usually re-sheep it when his current spell finishes, so go ahead and let it attack you unless the mage sheeps something else. It would continue attacking you until it was dead anyways; this way if the mage re-sheeps the mob, the group will be able to maintain focus on fewer free mobs. # When pulling a group with multiple CCs, attack sapped mobs before sheeped ones. We can re-sheep in the middle of a battle. Rogues can't re-sap. # If you are in my group and I suddenly run past you, turn around and attack what's chasing me. I will stop to allow you to retake aggro. # If you have a choice of two targets in front of you, and one of them has their feet frozen in ice, hit the other one. Frozen targets will remain immobilized but still be able to melee or shoot for up to 8 secs unless they are attacked. As soon as is reasonable, try to take aggro on the mobs that had been frozen but are now free. Since Frost Nova deals damage, that means the mage that froze them has some hate built up with those mobs. With each of those mobs, you need to take aggro from the mage. # If you want me to AoE, don't pull and then run away, or the flamestrike or blizzard will miss. # The AoE that I deal will be against non elites. Keep aggro on the elites so that they don't come for me. # Ice Block (looks like a freeze trap that hunters have) is a spell that grants immunity during 10 sec with 5 min cooldown. It can be used to dispel debuffs, allow the tank to regain aggro, AND as a desperate last call for healing. # We are happy to give you food and water, but please don't just scream at us and expect us to just because you think you're more important. Sharing is caring, but manners won't kill you. Simply ask, and you'll get what you need. If we miss a request, whisper. # Don't be the warrior that tries to hold aggro with your fury and dual wielding crap. That may work at level 20, but when I've just combustion/blastwaved a massive group of enemies... you won't have a chance. Don't go battle stance and do a fool's charge. Go defensive stance and make use of shield block and revenge. That goes for paladins too. If you're retribution, you should be joining me in inflicting ouch on mobs, NOT keeping them from doing it to me. # When out of mana (OOM), mages can't do their job properly. The down time might get tiresome but wait it out. It's even more tiresome for the mage. Yes, we can use our Evocation skill to replenish our mana quickly if needed, but it has an 8 minute cooldown. Let us drink between fights so we can save it for when we need it. We deal a lot of damage, and that damage requires mana. If we expect to encounter a long battle within 8 minutes, we need Evocation for that battle, or we need to wait out the cooldown in preparation. # AoE is a perfect recipe for breaking polymorph. If you have a sheep right beside you then have some common sense and don't use abilities like Thunder Clap which will break the sheep. Try pulling the mobs that you're already fighting in a safe direction and use your AoE there. # Don't expect mages to save you when you're low on health. We have some rooting abilities but we're neither healers nor a support class in general. The best we can do is try and pull the aggro off of you with lots of damage, which usually results in us dying instead. Generally, we will only do this to save you if you're a healer. # If there is a mage NPC that I am fighting, I probably don't want you to take aggro from me unless my death is imminent. But in most cases, it won't be, because I have Fire Ward and Frost Ward at my disposal, both of which absorb damage from the respective schools. Mages have Mage Armor which does not in fact add armor rating as items do, but it does add resistance to all schools of magic, so it is quite likely that we have more resistance than you do. Also, some mages have Magic Absorption which further increases resistance to all schools of magic and (with this talent) if they fully resist a magic attack they gain up to 5% of their full mana bar. # Most mages have Counterspell so I can pull single casters really well. When it's used the mob caster will stop casting and come into melee, just be aware it causes a lot of aggro, so be prepared to save me! # Please don't buff us with spells that cause damage when we get hit, like Thorns, we are trying to keep aggro down (it's hard enough with the damage we cause ourselves, let alone with things like Thorns)! # In a raid instance when you need food/water, please send a tell to the mage asking for exactly what you need before you open trade. On a side note, please do open trade. We shouldn't have to keep track of the exact orders of 8 or 9 different people. # Even though we have Remove Lesser Curse does not mean we can dispel everything. The frog hex, from Zul Farak and Sunken Temple, is just that: A Hex. It is not a curse. So please don't yell at your mage when you are a frog. This may result in loss of a mage in your group. Concerning Mage Services # Outside of an instance we are not obligated to make water or food for you. Don't get ornery because a mage refuses to make you food or water. # If you want a mage to help you out with conjured food or water, offer a tip. This will have nearly every mage eating out of your hand. # Mana stones (Jade, Agate, Citrine, Ruby) are soulbound and unique, we can't give them to you. # Portals and Teleports are completely different things. Just because a mage can teleport to a location, does not mean that they can portal you to that location. ## Teleports to: Ironforge, Stormwind, Exodar, Orgrimmar, Undercity, and Silvermoon are trainable at level 20. Teleports to: Thunder Bluff and Darnassus are trainable at level 30. Teleports to: Stonard and Theramore are trainable at 35 and teleports to Shattrath City at 60. Portals to: Stonard and Theramore are trainable at 35. Portals to: Ironforge, Stormwind, Exodar, Orgrimmar, Undercity, and Silvermoon are trainable at level 40. Portals to: Darnassus and Thunder Bluff are trainable at level 50 and a portal to outland ( Shattrath City ) not until 65. By knowing this you can avoid the awkward situation that will occur from asking a level 40 mage for a portal to Darnassus or a 61 mage to get back to outland. ## Portals require a Rune of Portals, so outside of an instance the mage will probably charge you for at least the cost of this reagent (18s if the Mage is honored with the city or faction, 16s if exalted). ## Porting someone to another location requires you to be in the same group with the mage. Often a mage will refuse to port you (even if you suggested a generous tip) because they already grouped for a party or raid and don't want to leave their group to service your request. Don't get angry, mages have a life too! Find another mage who might be less busy. # Politeness will get you everywhere; don't send a tell to the mage saying, "water kthx." Many will laugh and then /ignore you. # When you do ask for food or water, try to spell entire words. Typing "plz" instead of "please" could be the sole reason the mage turns down your request. As several mages famously put it, "If you say 'plz' because it's shorter than 'please', I'll say 'no' because it's shorter than 'yes'." # Confusing a mage with a warlock and consequently asking for a summon may end up in your being sent to the other side of the world. Though you will give the mage a good story to tell his guild... # If the price the mage asks for from you for any of his services is too much, do not get angry. Instead just ask another mage, who may provide the same service cheaper. # Do not ask a Mage to give you water if you are too far away, e.g. you are in Ironforge and the Mage is in Stormwind. Mages are not waterboys. # Don't sell Tome of Conjure Water IX and Tome of Conjure Food VIII for excessive amounts of gold, when you expect us to give FREE food and water. The reason why 70 mages nowadays expect tips is because they just gave up 250, 500, even 1000+ gold just to reduce downtime. We have epic mounts to pay for too you know. # Not adhering to the above two points may cause you to get my macro: "/say I'm sorry however the creation of food and water generates a line of text that is the same or similar to the previous in the same window within 30 seconds. This constitutes as spam and thus I'm unable to complete your request at this time." -- Simply put.. it's a privilege, not a requirement -- Especially considering point ten above! Why you should tip a Mage NOTE: This applies OUTSIDE of a group Some people wonder why should they pay Mages for something they can make. Do you tip an enchanter when they give you an enchant? Do you tip rogues when they open lock boxes for you? If you don't you should be on everyone's ignore list. We did have to pay to learn to make water. We are not "vending machines" and especially not free ones when WE have to pay 100+ gold to get a new and latest tome for a new rank in water. Level 70 Mages spend a good portion of their time in-game fending off people's request for water/food/ports. We also like to play the game too; so a tip for our services isn't too much to ask. Don't worry though, most Mages are not misers; they will not charge obscene amounts for water. A good tip is around 1g and usually will get what you need. Ports should be the cost of the reagent plus a tip, but remember the Mage is wasting his time just to port you there so a few extra gold doesn't hurt. If your not willing to tip a couple gold, expect to be ignored. If you still find it that you shouldn't pay for these services. You could just: #Walk and take a boat. #Buy your own food and water. Things Non-Mages want Mages to know # Say when you are out of mana and need to drink. Something like a quick "OOM" should work (or learn emote /oom, it's funnier, highly disputable, most players ignore anything out of party/raid and have WoW audio muted), and is best noted before combat ends. # If you pull aggro STOP, cast frost nova, and step out of melee range, do not hit it again until the tank has regained threat. Use Omen2, and pay attention to it. If you do pull aggro, the last thing you should do is run away or blink. # DO NOT make macro saying ">>Sheeping MobX<<" (or anything similar) each time you sheep someone. Now, there are quite a few reasons for this: #* Competent party leader will assign you a Lucky Charm to mark your sheep target, usually Moon. This mark is much more effective in telling people what you are going to sheep than your macro. #* In most situations each pull has several mobs with same names. Your macro cannot distinguish between them. #* You'll probably need to sheep on each trash pull (unless you running with a competent paladin tank), and often resheep your target several times during the battle. Seeing same spam ">>Sheeping Blah-Blah<<" a hundred times during the run is quite annoying. #* Half the time you'll probably be pigging or turtling instead of sheeping :) #* Ok, if you REALLY REALLY need to have such a macro, make it appear only with <1% chance (there are several addons which allows to do this). # Keep out of melee range, if possible, and run into the arms of the main tank or a deft off-tank if you are getting beat on by a mob. # Don't sheep the mob with a DoT on it. It's a waste of mana and time. # Know when to sheep and when to back up and AoE all of the mobs. Usually just concentrate fire on the one mob that the warrior is tanking. # Don't run around if you get aggro unless you freeze the mob. Chasing the mob makes it harder to get its aggro off you. # Be careful when getting into range to counterspell, more than one wipe has occurred because of overzealous mages pulling mobs they didn't see. # Don't AoE groups of elites.. ever! ( after lvl 60, the tanks can hold aggro a lot easier, but it is on a cooldown, or with a competent Paladin tank -- look for Righteous Fury and Consecration, looks like Glowing Ground -- generally you can do your AoE after Consecration's finished ) #* Better yet, don't AoE AT ALL unless you are told to do so. AoEs are very mana-inefficient, and they cause unbelievable amounts of threat (virtually the only thing that pulls aggro off of something faster than an AoE is a Taunt). # If you are being bashed on and we are having trouble pulling aggro off you, STOP attacking the thing that is bashing you, attack something else instead. Just put up Mana Shield and stand there. DO NOT RUN. Take this extremely seriously please. You will not survive if you try to run out of the dungeon and it is much easier for a tank to regain aggro if the mob is stationary. # Don't start casting your huge aggro fire spells as soon as the pull is made. You will pull aggro, and likely die. Let the tank build some aggro unless you plan on running around and kiting. You will also not get a Winter's Veil card from the tank if you constantly make them chase mobs, as funny as you may find it at first. Above all do not open with pyro. If you do, apologise and don't repeat it, or expect to be kicked. Remember, it's usually the tank you're making unhappy, and they're usually the group leader. And they're usually grumpy at the best of times. # If a Rogue is fighting a mob on the loose, do not sheep it and certainly do not attempt to continue to resheep it! The Rogue has made a decision to either tank the mob until the Warrior can grab it, or to kill the mob (this is often easier than you think with casters). Plus, there may be poisons and even DoTs from other group members who believe the mob is next to be killed. # Do not cast Amplify Magic on me if we are in an instance such as Scholomance with a lot of caster classes. The small healing bonus it provides will not make up for the extra magic damage taken. # If you're in a 5-man instance and draw aggro, be wary of where you use your Frost Nova. You might freeze a mob right next to your group's healer or fellow DPS class, who will promptly get pummeled unless he's got some mighty reflexes. # If you do pull aggro, you are squishy, and depending on the situation it may be a better choice for the healer to let you die. This is your own fault and not the healer or the tank. Threat management is crucial. General tips Rogue Since Sap no longer removes the rogue from stealth, talk to the group if they expect you to sheep pull. If the rogue is used to using distract just before his sap, begin casting right after the mob was sapped. Distraction+Sap combo consumes almost all rogue's energy and they'll appreciate that couple of seconds to regain it. Also remember that sometimes Sap can miss (5% chance) and rogue will need extra time to sap again. They'll also be thankful for any and all food you supply to them. While they don't have mana, being able to vanish and eat is a boon to them. Warrior Let him build aggro first, don't make him use his taunt right at the beginning. The tank wants to make sure that mobs stay with him, and don't run past him to the back of the group where they'll then be able to kill you, or worse yet, the healer standing next to you. Time and select your spells carefully so you don't generate too much threat and pull aggro away from him, and he'll love you. If you do pull aggro, toss up Mana Shield and either stand there or go to the tank. Walking backwards away from the tank at 15% HP is a bad idea. If you decide to do this, don't brag about your 2,500dmg Frostbolt Crit. ; Fire Mages : Wait until the warrior has about 2-3 sunders without Blessing of Salvation, 1-2 with. ; Frost Mages : Same as above, though you may be able to get away with a hit on the first sunder even without Salvation. Just hope it doesn't crit. ; Arcane Mages : Since Arcane Mages get 40% threat reduction to their arcane spells as opposed to Frost and Fire's 10%, 1-2 sunders is usually sufficient. Although he'll accept food from you, he probably won't use it until he's out solo questing after the instance, since ideally he'll have a healer while he's in it. Priest You're probably going to stand next to him (but in easy line-of-sight), in the last row. If he ever gets aggro from healing, you should frost nova the mobs going for him, to give the tank some time in retaking aggro. If the tank can't do anything about it, take aggro yourself and draw them away. He is more important than you. You can always be revived, but he probably can't. You should give water and an Arcane Intellect buff, but you should get a Power Word: Fortitude buff, the occasional Power Word: Shield, and some heals out of it. A mage is an aggroed priests best friend. You should try to be in a position to step in and take their bullet. Mainly because you can do it better (because of various snares, slows and spell interrupts) and free them up for healing you when you get into trouble. Warlock He's going to ask you for water and/or food, and he's going to give you a healthstone for it. Remind him of part 2 should he forget. If you feel nice, give an Arcane Intellect buff as well. Coordinate with the warlock so that both of your speccs are helped. You should ask them very very politely to lay down Curse of the Elements. As of 2.4.3, Curse of the Elements increases damage dealt by Fire, Arcane, Shadow, and Frost. Mage Alternate spells with him. Casting 2 frost novas at the same time is useless. Having an enemy running between 2 mages when he can't make a choice is funny. If the other one use fire spells and you have improved scorch, use it. Druid You give water and an Arcane Intellect buff, but you should get a Mark of the Wild buff out of it. Do not get Thorns in instances; you do not want to create more threat. Balance druids can use their Tier 7 talent Moonkin Form. This aura will increase the critical hit chance of spells by 5% for the druid's party members within a 30-yard radius. When there is a druid (healing) and a mage in a group they should stay close to each other in the back. If it happens that the druid gets aggro the mob approaches the druid and then the mage will cast Frost Nova so the mobs get stuck to the ground giving the tank/offtank chance to retake aggro. If the druid is in cat, bear, or tree form, he can't remove debuffs. If you're not worried about mana and want to be a kind soul, help with the decursing. The druid will love you for it - especially if you let him know you're going to help before he switches forms. Hunter Hunters are, by design, able to take care of themselves just fine. Hunters will appreciate an Arcane Intellect buff, and most will take an offer of food or water. Some hunter pets need to be fed bread to be happy; masters of these won't need to be asked about food. Hunters also use a lot of mana so offer them some drink! Paladin You're going to love working with paladins, and they love mages. A Paladin has the greatest potential to ensure you don't die. Paladins are the perfect partner for AoE grinding, and a properly played paladin is second only to a frost mage when they AoE grind alone. Beware though, at lower levels paladins can't keep up with your aggro, so behave yourself if there isn't a fully geared/spec'd tank around. Paladins are casters. They want food/water and normally dampen magic. Also expect to share non-cloth caster items. Of weapons, you share swords. Caster daggers and staffs are more plentiful and they can't use those. Aura-- They can give either Devotion Aura which will probably approach doubling your total armor (probably beyond this, if you use Mage Armor or Molten Armor instead of Ice Armor). They also have concentration aura gives 35% chance for your spells to not be interrupted from damage (although you can still be interrupted by Shield Bash, etc.); with your burning soul talent, that winds up coming to 100%. (Only one can be active at a time, unless there is more than one paladin.) Blessing-- They may also grant you their second bubble (Blessing of Protection), it protects you from all physical damage and aggro, but you can still cast all the way. That's very handy when AoEing. Blessing of Salvation reduces your aggro, welcome to the life of the trigger-happy-yet-never-hit-mage, however if your tank holds aggro well enough, you might want to ask for Blessing of Kings (if they have it) if you prefer extra intellect; or Blessing of Wisdom, which gives you a steady flow of mana regen throughout combat. If you expect to be mana short, you can also ask for them to judge wisdom so that you can receive mana when your spells or wands hit. Tank-- They are in plate and whatever their spec can take hits better than you, can taunt and stun mobs off you. Shaman Shamans, like Hunters, are able to take care of themselves quite well. All Shamans can benefit from water and Arcane Intellect, yet in groups Shamans act independently of mages. Mages and Shamans can interrupt spell casting with Counterspell and Earth Shock, respectively. Earth Shock has a 20 yard range and 6 second cooldown, and also causes very little threat, so it's better to let the Shaman interrupt and save that counterspell for emergencies. If your group consists of more spell-based casters than nonmagical folk, you may be in luck. Ask your Shaman to lay down a Wrath of Air totem (and a Totem of Wrath if their spec is deep Elemental). You'll get +101 spell damage (and a 3% increased chance to both hit and crit). If your group has 3 or more physical damage dealers, your group is probably better served with a Windfury or agility buff. If a Shaman is acting as a secondary damage dealer in a well-balanced group, a shaman might be able to overcome a mage's aggro if said mage leaves him in melee range after a Frost Nova or Ice Block. If your Shaman is Restoration spec, then you're lucky enough to have Mana Tide Totem working in conjunction with Mage Armor, though the cooldown on the totem is a lengthy 5 minutes. If the Shaman you are grouping with is not Resto, you can still ask for Mana Spring Totem, which will grant you a cool 50 mana per 5 seconds at level 70. Category:Mages Category:Mages